Breakdown

by Aly Zigada

[whisperingchapters]

When I started reading Breakdown by Aly Zigada, I have to be honest, I was not liking it due to a specific character. It disappointed me because I was really looking forward to this novel. At first, I wasn't into it for the first 2 to 3 chapters. As the story progressed and Atticus was introduced, the book blossomed and exploded in the best way possible.

Atticus Creed's voice had reached through radio waves to take hold of me when I was thirteen. I'd loved him before I met him. Before sex. Before heartbreak. I'd been stupid with him, out of my mind for him, absorbed in him.

This book is definitely dark in a lot of areas that had my heart racing and beyond giddy for all that was going down. Yet the darkness makes this story completely wonderful, alluring and thrilling!

Sophie Drew still lived inside me in visceral memory and sharp, senseless cravings.

Breakdown has way more depth than I was expecting and this blew me away. I was majorly impressed with it. There's so much going on, so many layers for each character individually, collectively and for the couples. Each character adds so much to the story. It's not just the main characters, but the secondary characters add a whole lot! I love when secondary characters are ever-present in a novel. It keeps adding more and more to the story.

"Do you know how fucking miserable it is to want everything from the person who'll give you nothing? That's us right now. I want everything from you and you'll give me none of yourself. I don't know who to be without you, but fuck it, maybe figuring that out is my destiny."

The characters are some of the most flawed characters I've read in a long time. Their rawness and depth stole my breath. These characters felt so real! When I stopped reading, I felt such an emptiness in my chest. I know I'm not saying goodbye yet since there will be more books but I still feel empty and scared that I won't be with these characters again once the series ends *cue sobfest*

I applaud Aly for reaching this type of depth in a story, especially her debut novel. I couldn't believe this was her first book! When you read it, it's like someone who's already been writing for years! She completely lured me in like a siren lures her prey. It was definitely a hook-line-sinker type of lure, except I went willingly with a smile on my face, not caring for the consequences.

"I'm high on you and I can't get clean. I can't pretend you don't mean everything to me. I can't detox you out of my veins. I don't want to."

There was one particular scene that changed the book for me from liking it to becoming beyond the normal levels of addicted and obsessed. It has to do with a song that Atticus writes and when he sings it to Sophie, she tells him to speak the words to her, not sing them. When he does it, HOT FREAKING DAMN!!! It's h-o-t! I envisioned that scene so well that I keep replaying it in my head. Not only that, I've re-read that scene so many times, I have it memorized! This is me we're talking about here. I don't memorize shit in books. But this is one I had to engrain in my brain. From this scene on, I was enamored, intrigued, obsessed, and every synonym to those words!!

Let's talk about the romance. Sophie and Atticus are electric together. There's so much angst, tension, anger for a betrayal, while at the same time, unconditional love and care. These two had my heart from the beginning. The way they tread around one another, the way they speak to each other, their love... *sighs dreamily* It was everything I could hope for for them. They've gone through so much and seeing them come together after so long and letting out that pent-up anger and frustration was all kinds of deliciousness!

I didn't even know I had a craving for these characters until I finished and realized this craving won't be satisfied because I want and need more of this story. This was one of those stories that I need it to breathe (or it feels that way).

Breakdown is a deep, raw, powerful, wonderful, dark story that will lure you in beyond what you'll be prepared for. It's filthy in a way you'll be wanting more of. It stole my breath away, while at the same time, it gave me life!

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